Off-Campus Studies can help Race and Ethnic Studies students …

  • Develop a comparative understanding of race and ethnic issues
  • Grapple with questions of cultural difference
  • Gain competence in a foreign language

How does a semester or year of OCS help students in Race and Ethnic Studies prepare for graduate school or various career opportunities?

  • Race and Ethnic Studies students often complete fieldwork and courses in areas underrepresented in Whitman’s curriculum while they are studying off-campus. This helps them to develop more robust interdisciplinary approaches and, sometimes, geographic area-specific expertise.
  • The majority of Race and Ethnic Studies majors study in programs that require or offer foreign language study, so they also develop language skills useful for advanced research.

As a general rule of thumb, the Race and Ethnic Studies Department recommends the following for students who wish to study off campus.

  • First-year students should take any RAES course of interest and meet with an RAES studies adviser.
  • Second-year students should take RAES 105, Introduction to Race and Ethnic Studies and ideally complete the second foundation course by the end of the second year.  They should also plan to complete their three “Concentration Courses” by the end of their junior year.
  • For Race and Ethnic Studies majors, off-campus study in either the fall or spring semester of their junior year works well.
  • Race and Ethnic Studies students can conduct research to be used in their Senior Thesis while they are studying off-campus, but must take care to consult with faculty at Whitman in order to ensure that IRB approvals are secured (when needed) and to ensure that they will be able to find adequate support for their project (i.e., faculty with the necessary expertise to advise them and access to adequate primary sources) once they return.

Which requirements can Race and Ethnic Studies majors fulfill while off campus?

  • Major elective credit
  • Language requirements for the major
  • A maximum of one major concentration course for the major
  • General Studies distribution credit
  • General degree credit

Major Credit Limitations

  • The maximum number of credits that can be applied to the Race and Ethnic Studies major from off campus studies (including AP credit, IB credit and credits from other U.S. institutions) is 12 credits with the approval of your major adviser.

Minor Credit Limitations

  • A minimum of three-fifths of the specific course and credit requirements for the minor must be completed in the on-campus program of the college.

What are the types of OCS programs recommended by the Race and Ethnic Studies department?

  • Programs that foster cultural and linguistic immersion.
  • US-based off-campus studies programs may also be suitable.

Which Partner Programs are recommended by the Race and Ethnic Studies department?

  • Programs in which the academic focus complements the student’s RAES concentration

Students interested in Off-Campus Studies should attend an OCS First Step meeting in the fall of their second year, discuss their interests with their major adviser, and schedule an appointment with an OCS adviser.